Karayiannakis A J, Nakopoulou L, Gakiopoulou H, Keramopoulos A, Davaris P S, Pignatelli M
First Department of Surgery, First IKA Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2001 Feb;27(1):31-6. doi: 10.1053/ejso.1999.1017.
beta-Catenin plays a central role in the E-cadherin/catenin cell-cell adhesion complex and is possibly involved in cellular signalling pathways. In this study, we evaluated the expression patterns of this molecule in in situ and invasive breast cancer.
The expression of beta-catenin was evaluated in 121 breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry. Its relationship to clinicopathological features was also investigated.
Altered beta-catenin expression was found in 68% of tumours. Lobular carcinomas showed abnormal beta-catenin expression more frequently (77%) than ductal carcinomas (64%) with 46% of lobular cases showing complete absence of beta-catenin immunoreactivity. Cytoplasmic beta-catenin localization was seen only in ductal carcinomas. Aberrant beta-catenin expression was observed in 54% of ductal carcinomas in situ with highly concordant beta-catenin expression patterns in the nearby in situ and invasive components.
Quantitative and qualitative changes in beta-catenin expression occur in a considerable proportion of in situ and invasive ductal carcinomas and are more prominent in invasive lobular carcinomas.
β-连环蛋白在E-钙黏蛋白/连环蛋白细胞间黏附复合物中起核心作用，并且可能参与细胞信号通路。在本研究中，我们评估了该分子在原位和浸润性乳腺癌中的表达模式。
采用免疫组织化学方法评估121例乳腺癌标本中β-连环蛋白的表达情况。同时研究其与临床病理特征的关系。
68%的肿瘤中发现β-连环蛋白表达改变。小叶癌中β-连环蛋白异常表达更为常见（77%），高于导管癌（64%），46%的小叶癌病例显示完全缺乏β-连环蛋白免疫反应性。仅在导管癌中可见细胞质β-连环蛋白定位。54%的原位导管癌中观察到异常β-连环蛋白表达，在附近的原位和浸润性成分中β-连环蛋白表达模式高度一致。
β-连环蛋白表达的定量和定性变化在相当比例的原位和浸润性导管癌中出现，在浸润性小叶癌中更为突出。
